


Games People Play

by thelimitsofthe_sea



Category: Animorphs, Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Spin the Bottle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 13:32:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelimitsofthe_sea/pseuds/thelimitsofthe_sea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It could all be blamed on Rachel, really. After all, it had been she who had suggested, with a flip of her blonde hair and a wicked glint in her baby blues, that they play it. "It" being, of course, spin the bottle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Games People Play

**Author's Note:**

> Game of Thrones reference is not anachronistic. The first book was published in 1996, which coincides with the Animorphs timeline. I know that Ax's human morph eyes should be the same as Marco's (dark brown), but I kept them his natural green because I felt like it.

 

It could all be blamed on Rachel, really. After all, it had been she who had suggested, with a flip of her blonde hair and a wicked glint in her baby blues, that they play it. "It" being, of course, spin the bottle.

"Really, Rachel," Marco had drawled. "I know how bad you want me, but you could just ask. There's no need to be so passive-aggressive."

"Believe me," Rachel snarled back, and looking at her, passive-aggressive was the last word that came to mind. "If I wanted that," she gestured in Marco's general vicinity, a disgusted look on her face, "I would have had it long ago." Marco laughed the incredulous laugh of someone who can't believe they just got sassed, but managed to summon up a retort.

"Birdboy has spoiled you for any other guy. If there aren't feathers and talons involved, you just ain't interested." Tobias shifted awkwardly and looked away, as though he was uncomfortable with Marco's blunt remark. Then again, that was his usual manner, so it was impossible to tell. Rachel's idea hadn't come entirely out of the blue. There had been a mounting feeling of tension in the air for the last thirty minutes, as though they were all waiting for something to happen. It was a Friday night, and they were crashed out at Ax's scoop. For once, the world didn't require saving, homework could be neglected until ten thirty on Sunday night, and they were free to laze around like normal teenagers. Half-empty bags of cheetos and potato chips littered the floor, and the TV was set on Ax's favourite soap opera channel. Marco had nixed a bottle of Jack from his dad's liquor cabinet, and they were passing it around.They'd all had several liberal swigs by now, except for Cassie and Tobias, who were too holier-than-thou to touch the stuff. They were pretty buzzed by then, which sort of gave them an excuse for going along with Rachel's whim. Or at least that's what Marco would try to tell himself afterwards.

"So, is everyone in?" Rachel demanded loudly. No objections were raised. (Tobias was too cowed to say no to her, Ax was intrigued by this "strange human ritual", Cassie and Jake were making sappy eyes at each other, and Marco was already anticipating getting his hands all over the toned blonde). "Alright, awesome." She grabbed a two-litre bottle of diet coke, chugged the remnants, then placed it on the grass beneath then triumphantly.

"Ax, turn off the TV. It's annoying me."

"But it's These Messages!" He said through a mouthful of popcorn. "One does not simply skip These Messages, they are the most enjoyable part. Art." She fixed him with her trademark glare, and he reluctantly reached for the remote, staring at the now blank screen as though it were the tombstone of his dead love.

"Jake will go first." Rachel announced.

"I will?"

"You're the leader. It's expected of you." Her tone brooked no argument.

"Sometimes I really wish I'd read the fine print before I'd signed on the dotted line." He sighed, only half jokingly, but he picked up the bottle anyways. No one could say Jake didn't take his leadership responsibilities with anything but the utmost gravity. He gave the bottle a spin, and it whizzed around the circle for a few turns, the label blurring into an illegible swirl of red and grey. It slowed eventually, everyone's eyes fixed on it. It persevered sadly for a few more lethargic turns, before coming to a halt. Marco let out a whoop. The bottle was drawing a straight line between Jake and Rachel.

"That's sick, man!" Jake cried. I am not kissing my cousin!"

"You know the rules," Marco cackled gleefully. "There's no exceptions, no way of getting out of it. If it was Chapman sitting across from you, you'd still have to kiss him."

"That's not even okay to joke about." Jake said, shooting him a dirty look.

"C'mon," Marco goaded. "You two need to get it on like the Lannisters!" Rachel glanced at him witheringly.

"Jaime and Cersei are twins, not cousins. If you have to be a nerd, at least do it do it properly." Time and distractions were running out, and Jake was getting desperate. He turned his eyes on Cassie, pleading and hopeful. She only shrugged sympathetically. She was helpless against the sacred rules of spin the bottle. Jake was seriously considering morphing into a skunk (nobody would be forcing him to kiss anyone then), when Rachel grabbed his t-shirt, pulled him forward, and roughly smacked her lips on his for a brief second. She let him go, and Jake gaped back at her in total shock.

"What?" She asked, reapplying her lipgloss with an air of nonchalance. "Someone had to do it, and you certainly weren't going to take the first move."

"Ah, Rachel." Marco laughed. "As practical as she is fearless."

"So who's next?" Jake piped up, trying to deflect the embarrassing attention onto someone else.

"Rachel gets to pick, because she was the last person selected." Tobias offered. She smiled at him, then narrowed her eyes, scanning the circle for her next victim.

"Cassie." She said at last, grinning toothily. Cassie sighed, smiled sadly, and picked up the bottle, with the resigned air of Jesus heading to the cross.

"I hope it lands on Rachel." Marco said, "I'm so ready for some girl-on-girl action."

"Marco!" Tobias cried. "That was terribly...ungentlemanly of you!" He was the only one blushing though. Cassie and Rachel were too used to Marco's bawdiness to be phased by it. Cassie spun the bottle, and everyone watched with bated breath . But Cassie was Cassie, of course, and things had a way of working out for her. So no one was too surprised when it landed on Jake. She kissed her boyfriend sweetly, long enough to be tender but short enough not to be obnoxious.

"Come on!" Marco complained loudly. "This is so boring!"

"Shut up," Rachel hissed. "I think they're adorable."

"Spin the bottle isn't supposed to be adorable." Marco said condescendingly, as though he were explaining the alphabet to a five year old. "It's supposed to be shocking, daring...scandalous!"

"Swallowed a thesaurus lately?" Rachel said with an eye-roll. "Jake's turn! Who will it be, cuz?"

"Marco." He said immediately, hungry to get back at his completely irritating best friend."

"Back by popular demand." Marco said silkily, basking in the spotlight. "Well, Rachel, you may start breathlessly awaiting the best moment of your life."

"You sure talk big for someone so small."

"Believe me, Rach, I make up for my height in other, more important places."

"Let's see if you can deliver." She smirked, gesturing towards the bottle. "Get on with it already!" He picked up the bottle, flipped his bangs from his face, and blinked coyly at her, making a production of the whole thing. He caught a glimpse of his distorted reflection in the illuminated plastic.  _I really am too cute to be allowed,_ he thought smugly. He spun the bottle with a flourish, as confident as anything.

The bottle stopped.

There was utter silence.

Marco looked up. The bottle was pointing at Ax, who was sitting cross legged and blinking back at him guilelessly. He hadn't said much through the game, and Marco had almost forgotten he was there. Now he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, and his heart was gripped by a desperate panic. He couldn't do this, he just couldn't.

"I'm not kissing a dude." He said out loud, hoping his voice sounded less shaky then it felt.

"Oh, but Marco," Jake trilled, his words as slick as honey. "You know the rules. There's no exceptions, no way of getting out of it." Marco glared daggers at him. He hated having his own words used against him. Jake smirked back evilly. Payback was so sweet

"Okay, haha. I get it. I shouldn't have made you and Rachel kiss. Now can we please just forget it and move on-" Rachel cut him off with a merciless laugh.

"I thought you said that spin the bottle should be, let's see now, shocking, daring and scandalous. Well, this is certainly all three." Marco scanned his mind for a witty retort, but found himself drawing a blank. Those two were ganging up on him, trying to corner him. He was a wolf in the lions' den- and okay, he needed to stop with the Game of Thrones references. Jake and Rachel aren't evil twins, he tried to assure himself, they're two of your closest friends. They weren't truly going to make him do this. And then Rachel said those six fateful words.

"What, you're not scared or anything?" And, of course, that gave Marco no choice. It would not be said that he was scared of something as petty as a kiss. He took a deep breath.

"Well, Ax," he said briskly. "You heard them."

"Yes, I did hear them." Ax confirmed neutrally, his expression blank. He had said nothing during the entire argument. Marco felt a flush of anger. Ax was always so composed and controlled. He never said anything stupid, never let his face betray him. Rachel sighed loudly and impatiently, and gestured for them to get to it. Marco leaned in closer, watching Ax carefully. He stated back at him evenly, not even a hitch in his breath. Marco was freaking out, and Ax looked as calm as though he were about to take a pleasant stroll down a garden lane. He was made of stone. Well, Marco thought smugly, even stone can break. He grabbed Ax's face roughly, and pulled the taller boy towards him. He didn't know what he had been expecting. Submissive passiveness, maybe, or meek apathy. He got neither. Ax kissed him back, and not gently. Marco froze in shock, and he gasped when he felt Ax's tongue in his mouth. I should push him away, he thought in some small corner of his brain. But then Ax snaked an arm around his waist, and any last shred of logic and control he'd been clinging to was promptly abandoned. He leaned into the kiss, and responded shamelessly. Ax tasted like whiskey, sugar, and underneath it that was all his own, and far to sweet to turn away from. Marco suddenly found himself with his arms around Ax's shoulders, one hand reaching up to tangle in his hair. The world had somehow disappeared; there was only his body and Ax's body, and the only thing that mattered was making this moment last as long as possible. Ax broke away for air, but Marco kissed him again before he could even think about pulling away. This time, he was in control, and somehow he knew what to do, his body was reacting without his permission. He moved his hands down from Ax's hair to his waist to his hips, and he didn't flinch, didn't tell him to stop. In fact he felt practically eager under Marco's wandering hands, and he was kissing him back with a passionate fervour that was so unlike him and-

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat.

Loudly.

And the whole situation came back to Marco with sickening clarity. His hands flew off Ax, and he pushed him away, wiping his mouth. Rachel, Jake, Cassie and Tobias were all staring at them, their jaws dropped in a way that would have been comical if this hadn't all been so horrific. Marco had just made out with his friend. His friend who was a guy. His friend who was, oh god, an alien! And worst of all, he'd done it in front of everybody. Marco could feel a blush spreading up his face, and he knew he'd have to find a way to save face, fast.

"Dude," he said in his best bitch voice. "You just had to eat garlic pizza tonight, didn't you? I'll have to brush my teeth twice when I get home." Something flickered in Ax's green eyes that if he hadn't known him better, Marco would have thought was hurt. But it was gone in an instant, and he knew he must have imagined it.

"You didn't seem to mind it a minute ago." Rachel piped up. Marco reeled on her, eyes flashing. She just had to make everything difficult.

"You wanted to play this stupid game, you forced me to kiss him, I did it. I don't know what you're staring at!", he snapped.

"I said you had to kiss him, not make out with him for ten minutes, and try to get your hands under his jeans-"

"I think it's time to go." Marco said loudly, standing up and brushing himself off, and wishing that his stupid heart would stop beating so fast. He was uncomfortably aware of his messy hair and flushed cheeks.

"Yeah, my parents will start to wonder where I am." Jake agreed immediately, just having gotten far more payback then he'd ever wanted to see.

"But Tobias hasn't had a turn yet," Rachel insisted.

"Oh, that's fine, really, I'm okay." Tobias said quickly, a relieved expression on his face.

"What a selfless sacrifice of you." Cassie deadpanned. A few minutes layer, they had left Tobias and Ax behind in the forest, and were tramping down the ill-lit street in an extremely awkward silence. Jake wouldn't meet his eyes, and Rachel kept giving him these weirded out looks. They were just about to drop Cassie off at her street when Rachel suddenly laughed out loud, the sound jarring in the still night air.

"Well, Marco," she said, "that wasn't quite the best moment of my life, but it was pretty damn close!" They all joined in on the laughter, even Marco, grateful for the release of tension. But when Marco caught Cassie's eyes afterwards, she was smiling a knowing smile that made him feel like she just saw right through him.

****

Marco was sprawled on the comfy couch of Ax's scoop, pursuing the last few doritos around the bottom of the bag. Beside him, Ax was scooping strawberry ice-cream out of the container, his eyes fixed on the TV. A few weeks ago, Marco would have thought it impossible that they'd even able to talk to each other, let alone hang out. But the aftermath of the spin the bottle game had actually been far less awkward than Marco had anticipated. His friends all seemed more than willing to forgive and forget, and they never brought it up. Ax treated him with his usual cool courtesy, as though absolutely nothing had happened. Marco was happy that Ax had decided to ignore it. Well, sort of happy. Okay, he was not happy at all. He was the polar opposite of happy. Ax may have been unmoved and unaffected by the incident, but Marco certainly wasn't. He was a total mess, in fact. He couldn't even look at Ax without remembering what his lips had felt like against his own, and he prayed to god it didn't show in his eyes. In math class (or any class, but that one most of all), if he wasn't careful his mind would wander to green eyes and sharp hipbones. It was reaching obsessive proportions. And of course, there were the thoughts he'd been having about Ax when he was trying to fall asleep. He knew they were completely and totally not okay, but they were impossible to stop. He snuck a glance at Ax. He was actually quite pretty. And by pretty, Marco meant stunning, drop dead gorgeous, fucking beautiful sort of pretty. He was unbelievably thin, despite the ridiculous amounts of fast food he consumed. His skin tone was somewhere between creamy cocoa and burnished olive, a weird sort of shade that couldn't really be described but was nonetheless attractive. Rachel and Cassie had lent a delicate fragility to his features, but his shoulders were broad and his limbs, though lean, were strong. Marco was so busy gawking at him that it took him a moment to realize that Ax was talking it him.

"Are you well, Marco?" He inquired, his brow furrowed. "You've been staring at me for the past six minutes and thirty-eight seconds. Onds. Perhaps you are sick?"

"Uh...no,um. I'm fine." He was definitely not fine. If he didn't kiss Ax again soon (like right now), he was pretty sure he would die. He suddenly saw the glimmer of an opportunity, and he latched onto it.

"Well, actually, there is one thing you could do for me..." Marco trailed off.

"I would be glad to help. Elp." Marc felt sort of evil for taking advantage of Ax's lack of knowledge of human social practices, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"It's about that game we played once?" Marco said, trying to keep his voice casual and probably failing miserably. "You know, the one with the bottle and the-"

"Yes, I understand what game you are referring to." Ax said, his voice matter-of-fact.

"Uh...well, you see, Rachel forgot to mention one of the rules." He was making this up as he went along.

"How careless of her."

"That's exactly what I thought."

"What is this rule?"

"Uh, it's like this. It just so happens that a month after playing the game, you have to kiss the same person again." He hoped he sounded convincing.

"Are you certain?" Ax asked, dubious.

"Oh, absolutely. It's a widely recognized rule, Ax."

"I see."

"Hey, I didn't make them, I just follow them. So I was thinking that maybe we should, you know..." Marco was grasping at straws here and he knew it. Ax looked at him very seriously for a few moments.

"You have no right to call Rachel passive-aggressive, you know." he said gravely, but his eyes were smiling when he pulled him in. Marco grinned into the kiss, and thanked God that Rachel was so fond of stupid party games.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment xox


End file.
